These days cycling sunglasses need to either have extreme styling or lightweight to stand out in the crowded market. Bollé has chosen the latter approach with the new Icarus sunglasses. While the sunglasses may not prevent you from flying too close to the sun like the over-ambitious Icarus from Greek mythology, the ultra light sunglasses might give you wings and provide UV protection. Bollé offers the Icarus in a number of variations from $140 standard, $170 Volt+, and the $200 photochromic Phantom lenses we have in this review. Regardless of the lens you choose, the Icarus offers frameless designs with lightweight TR90 nylon construction and Thermogrip rubber temples and nose pads.
The Bollé Icarus sunglasses combine an ultra-light frameless construction with crisp optics and color contrast.
| Retail Price | $140 / $170 (Volt+ lens) / $200 (Phantom lens – as tested) |
| Rating | Design: A Optics: A Comfort: A Value: A |
| Measured weight (in g) | 22 |
| Likes | + Frameless design + So light you’ll forget you’re wearing them + Available in a variety of lens and color options |
| Dislikes | – No color customization available |
| Where to Buy (US) | Bollé |
UNBOXING
The Icarus comes in a sleek black / white Bollé branded cardboard box. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Icarus sunglasses
- Fabric carrying bag
- Zippered hard case
- Lens information booklet
Note, as with most frameless sunglasses, the Icarus does not have removable or replaceable lenses so you should ensure you choose the best lenses for your environment.
FIT & FINISH
To achieve the impressive as-tested 22 gram weight (2 grams less than the claimed 24g weight), the Bollé Icarus features a frameless design that uses the one piece lens as the main structural element. The temples directly attach to the corners of the lens while a separate nose piece slides over the bottom of the lens. While there is no color customization currently available, Bollé offers a variety of frame colors from standard black / white options to more adventurous colors such as pink black matte and gray acid frost. Branding is limited to Bollé printed on the temples for a sleek overall look. Despite the minimalist construction, the Icarus retains Bollé’s aggressive sporty design language with its sharp lines and beveled corners and is very similar in appearance to the Bollé Lightshifter except for the frameless construction.
The Icarus sunglasses can also easily work with a variety of faces as the temples are light and flexible. They twist and bend with the slightest amount of pressure and have Thermogrip rubber padding to prevent them from sliding. The nose pads also use the Thermogrip material and are easily molded by applying pressure to them. Although the Icarus sunglasses aren’t nearly as massive as the POC Devour or Bollé Chronoshield, the 52mm height provides a wide field of view. The lens also has a 6-base curvature which wraps around your face and hides the temple arms from view. As with other Bollé sunglasses, the Icarus also features laser etching on the bottom edges of the sunglasses for additional style and protection from scratches.
ON THE ROAD
With the featherweight construction of the Icarus, it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them. We had a number of rides where we nearly turned thinking we had forgotten the sunglasses before realizing we were actually wearing them. The lack of weight and frameless design result in a wide field of view with no frame in sight. As with other Phantom lenses we’ve ridden with, the Brown Red Cat 2 – 3 (35%-15% VLT) are quite impressive and can easily adapt to the environment. While the color contrast and photochromic effect are excellent, we do wish we had the lens were darker as the California sun is still a bit bright at the 15% VLT setting.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Bollé Icarus sunglasses to be extremely lightweight and well made. The combination of the 22g weight and frameless lens design makes the Icarus perfect for cycling or other sports. The sunglasses provide a wide field of view with flexible temples and nose pads to accommodate a variety of faces. Although the sunglasses don’t have the retro-inspired design that’s become very popular in cycling, the Icarus retains Bollé’s aggressive design language. We were also impressed with the photochromic Phantom lens which quickly adapts to environment conditions and has crisp optics. While the Icarus may not prevent you from being overly ambitious, they’ll certainly help you drop a few grams and stay protected from the sun.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Bollé. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.
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